Your Band Doesn’t Matter in the 2018 Times Union Best Of Poll

Once again, the region’s hard working and talented musicians have been largely overlooked by the staff that puts together the TU Best Of poll. This year, the poll has again designated only TWO fill-in choices:Best Local Performer Best Local Band
And, that’s it.

Last year, at the start of the 2017 poll, there were only two fill-in choices (Best Local Singer-Songwriter and Best Local Band). I thought it a shame, and made note here and on social media that the Capital Region’s hard working and talented musicians, bands, and artists weren’t going to be sufficiently represented in the poll results. There was wringing of hands, shouting out rude names, general grumpiness on the issue.

Which was heard loud and clear. I was asked to submit some suggestions. A compromise was struck. The survey was updated to include several additional categories, even with the poll already in progress. You can read the original blog post HERE and the update HERE.

So for this year the TU staff and/or interns didn’t have very far to look to keep an expanded poll offering, IF they cared to. But they didn’t.

Cover bands? No. Rock bands? No. Country? No. Alternative or Indie bands? No. Is there ANY other types of musicians around here, such as singer-songwriters, hip hop/rap artists, electronic, r&b, soul, jazz? No? Not even best guitarist? Apparently not.

How about radio stations that include and support local and regional acts in their daily programming? Not in this poll.

Voting closes at noon Monday Jan. 22. Come March 29th, when the results of the poll will be published in the TU’s Upstate Magazine, the chances of YOUR band or a favorite of yours being represented is unlikely. It doesn’t matter how many places are published for the two categories, whether top 3, top 5, top 20, top 518. The TU Best of poll fails to recognize there’s an active, wide-spread music scene in this upstate area.

To me, that is a rotten shame. And not surprising. And, no link for you.